Best Practices in Education

This year has presented educators with unexpected challenges at every turn. Some of us are teaching online. Some of us are teaching hybrid, and some of us have been on-site for most of the year. High School Director Gabriel Johnson shares a process for revising curriculum when teachers aren't able to meet all their learning objectives.  Support the show

High School teacher Hadley Cluxton returns to the podcast to share how to successfully use graphic novels to reach students who learn through a variety of modalities. She offers an exhaustive list of resources, particularly for history teachers. Support the show

Executive Director Cory Adams talks about the preparation required to get the school ready to face the challenges of the pandemic.  Support the show

Season 2, Episode 2. 3rd and 4th grade teachers Robin Skeen and Carly Penny use a blended model to meet students where they are and challenge them to thoroughly understand, apply, and create by being metacognitive and resourceful. Look through the presentation at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HNUhXsC_NLm7tRpHCbrFqGOdp6WzghtjgkS-i7tRMFU/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

COVID-19 has changed the way teachers do everything! In this episode, 1st grade teacher Selma Neel shares what it's like for her elementary classroom to move outdoors as teachers and students adjust to (mostly) all-weather school. Here's a link to the visual presentation as well. Support the show

In the first episode of Season 2, teachers reflect on what they learned from teaching during the first days of the pandemic. Different voices tell unique stories and share insight. Support the show

When we need it most, this teaching conversation is all about how love keeps learning going. Whether it's falling in love with poetry or cultivating love, connection, and safety among students, Dr. Richard Chess of UNC-Asheville shares how he introduces students to literature and each other. Support the show

Students need novel ways to interact with screens as we move to remote learning. High School Director Gabe Johnson talks about using games in the virtual classroom, what kinds of students they engage, and who gets left out of the equation. Support the show

Intermediate teacher Jenny Einzig talks about experiential learning in the classroom and how it can really bring students alive.  Support the show

Alex Eren and Kalyan Volpe, Intermediate teaching partners, talk about partnership. What does it take to have a strong partnership in the classroom? What does success look like? Check out their presentation to learn more: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TImiV98CWI8aXcqE04TruTD7Cykp5nRAnC5kD_aXIvw/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

Sound Designer River Guerguerian joins Executive Directors Cory Adams and Megan Martell in a remote interview to discuss how Odyssey is managing the transition to remote learning during the Coronavirus pandemic. Support the show

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Studio guest and chef Ashley Capps joins us to share about how important emotional intelligence is to the process of cooking and training others to cook.  Ashley has worked at Five and Ten Restaurant in Athens, GA, Eleven Madison Park in New York, Farm and Sparrow Bakery in Asheville, and MG Road Bar and Lounge in Asheville, before moving to Buxton Hall . She served as the opening pastry chef for...

Kindergarten Teacher Shirley Rotolo discusses the benefits of reading literature aloud in classrooms and at home to students through high school, offering title recommendations, and exploring her own relationship to literature as a multi-lingual educator. To learn more, check out the presentation here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1F6BrDrXnGv7MHBMSkgs5EwUH-9kZN1xt2Rc4sn3PRuk/edit?usp=sha...

First Grade teacher Craig Deutsch shares about how to bring your own interests into the classroom, using passion as a way to expand and connect with students. Teaching can be a demanding profession, and it's important for teachers to feel alive and excited about the material they teach. For more information, check out Craig's podcast below: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cRftXEg...

Odyssey High teacher JP Bowers talks about how to guide students and faculty through experiential team building. She considers how connection informs relationship and impacts learning in both obvious and subtle ways. Support the show

High school social studies teacher Hadley Cluxton unpacks the complexities of teaching "histories" rather than "History" through a lens of decoloniality, pluriversality, and re-existence. She shares the theory behind this rebellious and vital perspective, defines these terms for those of us who are new to the conversation, and inspires us to embrace the conversation and the wor...

Preschool Director Courtney Fincher speaks to the developments in the fields of interpersonal neurobiology, attachment, and polyvagal theory. She explores how to implement the information we're learning in these areas within the context of early childhood education. To learn more, check out the presentation here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1q13KUE84ZrJlF2oIq-NmP4YnHjHvlXUAvrILuAEg...

Teacher Pana Columbus talks about using six action levels to solve real world problems. She talks about teaching systemic disruptive action to address climate change. To learn more, check out Pana's presentation at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RRTsRRcFvP-fwfonXZG7ugTrwSRFrwJ7SrWHfcEdFPk/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

High School Director Gabe Johnson gives an introduction to Communicative Action through the lens of the Integral Model. Along the way, he describes the AQAL, one of Integral's tools for navigating perspectives of consciousness. Here's a link to his brief presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MV8y0Q_mKFusB_jRpgGRoDnq0ZA-jeb9Q5ZvDt8sIm0/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

Ta'rin'ii Isner, a 5th and 6th grade teacher, discusses her inspiration in teaching coming of age, the power of names, and cultivating a sense of purpose from indigenous Aboriginal and African cultures. "The Spirit of Intimacy" and "Welcoming Spirit Home," by Sobonfu Some A short video on the power of ritual:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPVx9LemV9s "The Hea...

Carly Penny explains her design thinking process in developing a Podcasting Project with her third and fourth grade students. Hear strategies for deepening standards to create authentic learning in an interdisciplinary style that can be applicable all year long. See Carly's presentation here: https://docs.google.com/a/odysseycommunity.org/presentation/d/102BpLqdfLM9vBXPfC2VT0EwYW79nUt4ihcKb-5...

Science is not just what those people wearing white coats do in labs, and the scientific method isn't a linear process. What?! High school science teacher Andrew Rabin shares his process for exploring authentic science with students. To learn more, check out the link below: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fwCWoiYpXhsfAbeKdwutIxZFg6W5DJGUCkRTnXBzTA0/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

Middle school teacher, Alex Eren, talks about the practice of self-care and its importance to teachers. She offers strategies and tips about how to make self-care happen even in the briefest moments. To learn more through Alex's presentation, click the link below. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iUjPcQ7kYxiCcIemwGQZOY_p91lykhKSX-1_mSYEEoM/edit?usp=sharing Support the show

Selma Neel describes how she supports students with learning differences and their peers navigate the emotional and social experience of learning about their diagnoses. Through expert panels, students embrace the strengths that come with their differences and find support in working with the challenges. Check out Selma's presentation below to learn more. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d...